Inside a Saltwater Room
by Snow Glows Blue
Summary: The aquarium has a new exhibit on mermaids. (Legolas/Gimli, mermaid AU)


The aquarium has a new exhibit on mermaids.

It isn't like Gimli's never seen them before. But seeing a mermaid from a stadium away at SeaWorld is an entirely different experience from seeing one up close, and Gimli is only now fully appreciating just how beautiful they are.

There are five of them, three males and two females, in the aquarium tank. Kili is on the opposite side of the room, admiring the female with the red hair and the forest green tail, and Fili stayed behind to look at the sea otters; Gimli's on his own. He's following the motions of the two identical males with the black hair and pure white scales, watching how they spiral upward around another, never touching but always within an arm's length.

And then, there is a knock on the glass, directly in front of Gimli.

He looks down again to see pale blue eyes peering out of the tank, golden hair swirling in the water around a face that is eerily beautiful.

The mermaid tilts his head, blinks twice, taps the glass again. Gimli's lips quirk into a smile, and he taps the glass back. The mermaid smiles, so brightly he could almost be human, and shoots upward in a streak of sky blue and pale gold.

Gimli thinks he's going to be visiting the aquarium more often now.

xx

His next day off from work, Gimli goes back to the aquarium.

The mermaid exhibit is in the back, past the deep-sea waters and the tidepools, so it takes him a while to get there. He doesn't really mind. Best for last and all that, right?

The blond mermaid seems less bright than he was a week ago, his movements slower. When he sees Gimli he still goes to the glass, but instead of tapping he lays his hand against it and stares out with wide eyes.

Gimli lays his hand over the mermaid's and gazes back.

xx

The third time Gimli visits the mermaids, it's the abovewater portion of the tank that he goes to. There's no glass here, nothing separating him from the blond mermaid.

He takes a few minutes to notice that Gimli's there, which gives Gimli the chance to watch him - to see how tired he looks. They're all like that, but the blond one shows it most.

Then he does notice, and he swims up to the surface to look at Gimli face-to-face.

He's got violet half-moons stamped beneath his eyes; his arms and chest are mottled with bruises. It was hard to see through the water - everything seems blue-tinted - but it's painfully clear now.

"What happened to you?" Giml whispers.

The mermaid doesn't understand (of course he doesn't, mermaids look humanoid but they can't understand language any more than a dolphin would) but he looks so _defeated_ that Gimli can't help but feel for him.

Gimli reaches over the glass, not touching the mermaid's skin but close enough that either of them could reach out. The mermaid does and -

\- oh.

Gimli is flooded with memories that are not his _(silken seawater on his skin even though he's never been in the ocean, the type of coral reef part of hi had always thought didn't exist outside of pictures)_ and a clear voice speaking in his ears: _My name is Legolas._

 _My name is Gimli,_ he responds automatically.

Legolas is smiling so brightly that Gimli has to smile back; he seems far less tired now, and his eyes are glowing again. He sends across an image that Gimli does recognize - a red-haired man, taller than Gimli but not by much, holding an axe that is taller than either of them. It feels distinctly like a question.

 _Glóin,_ Gimli says. _My father. Yours?_ It's odd how few of Legolas's memories feature other mermaids.

Legolas's smile fades. Gimli wishes he hadn't asked. Legolas takes a deep breath, lets it out, sends across another memory -

 _\- scared alone so scared it's too small i can't breathe iT'S MOVING WHY IS IT MOVING -_

 _\- where's ada where did they take him why did they take him i need him where is he_ _ **where's ada -**_

 _\- alone and hurt and so so scared -_

The memory fades and the terror fades with it. Gimli struggles to catch his breath.

 _SeaWorld?_ he asks, and sends an image of the logo along with it. Legolas nods.

Gimli twines their fingers together. "I'll get you out of here," he promises, though Legolas won't understand. "I swear to God, Legolas, I'll get you out of here."


End file.
